Machine Learning-Based Classification of Vector Vortex Beams.

Structured light is attracting significant attention for its diverse applications in both classical and quantum optics. The so-called vector vortex beams display peculiar properties in both contexts due to the nontrivial correlations between optical polarization and orbital angular momentum. Here we demonstrate a new, flexible experimental approach to the classification of vortex vector beams.

Sub-GeV dark matter in superfluid He-4: an effective theory approach.

We employ an effective field theory to study the detectability of sub-GeV dark matter through its interaction with the gapless excitations of superfluid He. In a quantum field theory language, the possible interactions between the dark matter and the superfluid phonon are solely dictated by symmetry. We compute the rate for the emission of one and two phonons, and show that these two observables combined allow for a large exclusion region for the dark matter masses.

Which lesson can be learnt from a historical contamination analysis of the most polluted river in Europe?

The Sarno River trend analysis during the last 60 years was traced focusing on the socio-economic and environmental issues. The river, originally worshiped as a god by Romans, is affected by an extreme level of environmental degradation, being sadly reputed as the most polluted river in Europe. This is the "not to be followed" example of the worst way a European river can be managed.

Homocysteinylated albumin promotes increased monocyte-endothelial cell adhesion and up-regulation of MCP1, Hsp60 and ADAM17.

Rationale: The cardiovascular risk factor homocysteine is mainly bound to proteins in human plasma, and it has been hypothesized that homocysteinylated proteins are important mediators of the toxic effects of hyperhomocysteinemia. It has been recently demonstrated that homocysteinylated proteins are elevated in hemodialysis patients, a high cardiovascular risk population, and that homocysteinylated albumin shows altered properties.

Objective: Aim of this work was to investigate the effects of homocysteinylated albumin - the circulating form of this amino acid, utilized at the concentration present in uremia - on monocyte adhesion to a human endothelial cell culture monolayer and the relevant molecular changes induced at both cell levels.

Plasma protein homocysteinylation in uremia.

Protein homocysteinylation is proposed as one of the mechanisms of homocysteine toxicity. It occurs through various means, such as the post-biosynthetic acylation of free amino groups (protein-N-homocysteinylation, mediated by homocysteine thiolactone) and the formation of a covalent -S-S- bond found primarily with cysteine residues (protein-S-homocysteinylation). Both protein modifications are a cause of protein functional derangements.